COVID-19 Related Fraud
FBI sees rise in fraud schemes related to the COVID-19 pandemic
Scammers are leveraging the COVID-19 pandemic to steal money and personal information. Protect yourself and do your research before: clicking links purporting to provide information on the virus; donating to a charity online or through social media; contributing to a crowdfunding campaign; purchasing products online; or providing personal information in order to receive money or other benefits.
The FBI advises you to be on the lookout for the following:
Fake CDC Emails
Watch out for emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) or other organizations claiming to offer information on the virus. Don’t
click links or open attachments you don’t recognize. Fraudsters can use links in emails to deliver malware
to your computer to steal personal information or lock your computer and demand payment. Be wary of
websites and apps claiming to track COVID-19 cases worldwide. Criminals are using malicious websites to
infect and lock devices until payment is received.
Phishing Emails
Look out for phishing emails asking you to verify your personal
information in order to receive an economic stimulus check from the government. While talk of economic
stimulus checks has been in the news cycle, government agencies are not sending unsolicited emails seeking
your private information in order to send you money. Phishing emails may also claim to be related to:
- Charitable contributions
- General financial relief
- Airline carrier refunds
- Fake cures and vaccines
- Fake testing kits
Counterfeit Treatments or Equipment
Be cautious of anyone selling products that
claim to prevent, treat, diagnose or cure COVID-19. Be alert to counterfeit products such as sanitizing
products and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including N95 respirator masks, goggles, full face
shields, protective gowns and gloves. More information on unapproved or counterfeit PPE can be found at www.cdc.gov/niosh. You can also find information on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website, www.fda.gov, and the Environmental Protection Agency website, www.epa.gov. Report
counterfeit products at www.ic3.gov and to the National
Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center at iprcenter.gov.
If you’re looking for accurate and up-to-date information on COVID-19, the CDC’s website has extensive guidance and information and is updated frequently. The best sources for authoritative information on COVID-19 are www.cdc.gov and www.coronavirus.gov. You may also consult your primary care physician for guidance.
The FBI reminds us to always use good cyber hygiene and security measures. By remembering the following tips, you can protect yourself and help stop criminal activity:
- Do not open attachments or click links in emails from senders you don’t recognize.
- Do not provide your username, password, date of birth, social security number, financial data or other personal information in response to an email or robocall.
- Always verify the web address of legitimate websites and manually type them into your browser.
- Check for misspellings or wrong domains within a link (for example, an address that should end in a “.gov” ends in .com" instead).